An ad appearing on Flanagan’s Facebook page. Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan may pull off one of the most improbable election victories in history in three weeks: the odds are […]
Elections
Posted inOpinion, Politics
What’s the matter with Blackstone?
Ten years ago, journalist and historian Thomas Frank published What’s the Matter With Kansas? The book was an exploration of the political transformation of his home state, which had gone […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Polling expert analyzes midterm GOP gains
Mark Blumenthal has been working in the political polling industry for 20 years, but his historical perspective goes back much further. “The party of the president has lost legislative seats […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
15% rule promotes insiders, has to go
Last week, Charlie Baker won a relatively close race to become the next governor of the Commonwealth. The outcome was surprising to many people, though for different reasons. A volunteer […]
Posted inPolitics
Fall River follies
Since 2010, Massachusetts voters statewide have marched to the polling booth eight times for primary, general, and special elections and there have been at least 13 other special elections with […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
A time for beginnings, endings, opportunities
It’s a time for beginnings. The election of a new governor brings an end to eight years of Democratic hegemony on Beacon Hill. For Charlie Baker, it is both a […]
Posted inPolitics
Evan Falchuk discusses his election ‘win’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Xk3XviDmAs4
Posted inPolitics
Mike Dukakis was right
Charlie Baker greets a voter on Election Day outside the polling place at Holy Name Parish Hall in West Roxbury. In 1988, Michael Dukakis got walloped in his bid for […]
Posted inPolitics
Winners & Losers
WINNERS TV STATIONS This year’s election was an advertising bonanza for local TV stations. They raked in millions of dollars in ads from PACs and candidates, fueled by tight races […]
Posted inPolitics
Warren slams PAC spending
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Wednesday that heavy super PAC spending in the Massachusetts gubernatorial contest should prompt a federal crackdown on unfettered political spending by outside groups. Corporations and wealthy […]
Posted inPolitics
Liberal Boston suburbs become key battleground
Charlie Baker launched his gubernatorial campaign last year in Lowell, and he spent much of the campaign chasing votes in cities that are traditionally hostile to Republicans like himself. Baker […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics, Transportation
Next governor needs transportation vision
By most accounts, the Patrick administration and the Legislature have moved the needle forward on the issue of transportation. They know that investing in transportation infrastructure is critical to our […]
Posted inPolitics
GOP super PAC money swamps governor’s race
Outside super PAC spending in the Massachusetts governor’s race has nearly doubled the outside spending totals set four years ago, and the wave of outside money has been decidedly one-sided. […]
Posted inPolitics
Gateway City papers give edge to Baker
In the key electoral battleground of Gateway Cities, Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker holds an edge over Democrat Martha Coakley in major newspaper endorsements. Baker was endorsed by the Standard-Times […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Polito’s low-profile campaign for lt. gov.
Karyn Polito at the Baker-Polito Campaign Boston headquarters Karyn Polito, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, is both a plus and a minus in Charlie Baker’s run for governor against […]
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Politics
Baker and the gas tax
CHARLIE BAKER HAS vowed to oppose any tax increases if elected governor, and that includes any attempt to raise the gas tax. Baker opposes a move made by the Legislature […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
The ultimate Lawrence grudge match
Anyone who thought they’d seen the last of William Lantigua on Beacon Hill should pay close attention on Election Day. The former mayor is back on the campaign trail in […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion, Politics
One size does not fit all
Question 4 mandates sick leave for every worker in the state. That sounds like a great idea, but the devil is in the details. Requiring employers to provide paid and […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
A tale of 2 states
The biggest political news of the past week came via the polls – the Boston Globe showing Charlie Baker opening up a lead in his race against Martha Coakley, and […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Falchuk loses court bid to gain debate access
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE After his attempt to secure a court order requiring debate organizers to include him in a Monday night event was denied, independent gubernatorial candidate Evan Falchuk […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion, Politics
Earned sick time good for families, businesses
Think about the people you know who don’t have earned sick time. Maybe it’s your sister. Maybe it’s your neighbor. Maybe it’s the man who bags groceries for you every […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Pollsters keep chasing elusive random sample
A group of top-tier pollsters gathered last Friday at a meeting of the New England chapter of the American Association for Popular Opinion Research to discuss the fractured state of […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Cities are Democratic turf
Fewer than two weeks separate Martha Coakley and Charlie Baker from Election Day. The two major gubernatorial candidates are locked in a dead heat, and as they both scramble to […]